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Only A Dream

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[Verse]
DStanding by the Dsus2elevator, feeDling gloomy and Dsus2down
DWaitin’ for the Dsus2flashing light to Dlift me up from the Dsus2ground
Then the Delevator Dsus2opened and I Dsaw her standing Dsus2there
She had to Gbe a young executive, she looked so corporate and clean
And I Dthought I'd seen her someDsus2where before on the Dcover of a magaDsus2zine
I didn't Athink she'd even look at me, or Gbother to glance my way
But she D7actually smiled at me and said "hiya handsome, have a good day"
[Chorus]
DI must be Dsus2dreamin’ Dif she looks at Dsus2me
DI gotta be Dsus2dreamin’, is Dit a fantaDsus2sy?
Now I’ve got Gpositive emotion buzzin’ ‘round every molecule in Dme
DI gotta be Dsus2dreamin’, is Dit realiDsus2ty?
But Aover and over I reGlive that memory
Was it D7real or only a dream?
DNa na na na Dsus2na na, Dna na na na Dsus2na na na na na
DNa na Dsus2na na, Dna na na na Dsus2na na na na
[Bridge]
Was it Cmy imagiGnation playin’ Dtricks on me when she looked my way?
CMaybe she took me for Gsomebody else
Whatever it AwaGs, it made my Aday, hey hey
[Verse]
DI wake up in the Dsus2morning, smiDling with anDsus2ticipation
DSuddenly I Dsus2feel alive, I Dface the world with Dsus2expectation
GI must be dreamin’, is this a smile upon my face?
DI gotta be Dsus2dreamin’, this Dworld is a better Dsus2place
Was it Amy imagination Gplayin’ tricks on me?
Was it D7real or only a dream?
[Bridge]
CI see a great big Gsunset where only Dclouds used to be
Was it Conly an ilGlusion, is it AfantaGsy?  
If it’s just a AdrGeam, it's good enough for Ame, yeah yeah
[Verse]
DWaiting by the Dsus2elevator Dfeeling optimistic and Dsus2clean
DWaiting for my Dsus2executive goddess to apDpear as if in a Dsus2dream
DThen the elevator Dsus2opened, she was Dtalking to another Dsus2guy
DAnd I tried to say helDsus2lo to her, but I Dfailed to even catch her Dsus2eye,
Then Aeverybody crowded inside and I Gsadly stood my ground, thinkin’
D7Life’s just like that elevator, it takes you up and brings you down

All chords in this song (6)

The story behind the song

Ray Davies wrote "Only a Dream" on a plane, aiming to bring more humanity to The Kinks' final album, Phobia. He poured a lot of emotion and himself into the song, even admitting to being intimidated by the vocal performance and recording it in one take after a night of drinking. It's a pop song, but one deeply personal to its writer. Playing it means channeling that raw, vulnerable feeling of pushing through to express something true.

AI-written from these sources:Only a Dream (The Kinks song) — Wikipedia ↗The Kinks — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

🎸 Tips from players

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Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

Only A Dream

by The Kinks

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Dsus2

[Verse]

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Standing by the elevator, feeling gloomy and down

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Waitin’ for the flashing light to lift me up from the ground

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Then the elevator opened and I saw her standing there

She had to be a young executive, she looked so corporate and clean

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

And I thought I'd seen her somewhere before on the cover of a magazine

A G

I didn't think she'd even look at me, or bother to glance my way

But she actually smiled at me and said "hiya handsome, have a good day"

[Chorus]

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

I must be dreamin’ if she looks at me

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

I gotta be dreamin’, is it a fantasy?

G D

Now I’ve got positive emotion buzzin’ ‘round every molecule in me

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

I gotta be dreamin’, is it reality?

A G

But over and over I relive that memory

Was it real or only a dream?

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Na na na na, na na na na na na na na

[Bridge]

C G D

Was it my imagination playin’ tricks on me when she looked my way?

C G

Maybe she took me for somebody else

A G A

Whatever it was, it made my day, hey hey

[Verse]

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

I wake up in the morning, smiling with anticipation

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Suddenly I feel alive, I face the world with expectation

I must be dreamin’, is this a smile upon my face?

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

I gotta be dreamin’, this world is a better place

A G

Was it my imagination playin’ tricks on me?

Was it real or only a dream?

[Bridge]

C G D

I see a great big sunset where only clouds used to be

C G A G

Was it only an illusion, is it fantasy?

A G A

If it’s just a dream, it's good enough for me, yeah yeah

[Verse]

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Waiting by the elevator feeling optimistic and clean

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Waiting for my executive goddess to appear as if in a dream

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

Then the elevator opened, she was talking to another guy

D Dsus2 D Dsus2

And I tried to say hello to her, but I failed to even catch her eye,

A G

Then everybody crowded inside and I sadly stood my ground, thinkin’

Life’s just like that elevator, it takes you up and brings you down

About Only A Dream Chords by The Kinks

Learn how to play Only A Dream by The Kinks with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Only A Dream chords”, “Only A Dream guitar chords”, or “The Kinks Only A Dream chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Only A Dream chords and for experienced players who want accurate Only A Dream lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, Dsus2, G, A, D7, C.

FAQ — Only A Dream by The Kinks

How do I play "Only A Dream" by The Kinks on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Only A Dream" by The Kinks on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Only A Dream" by The Kinks free?

Yes. The chords for "Only A Dream" by The Kinks are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Only A Dream" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Only A Dream" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Only A Dream"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Only A Dream" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Only A Dream" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Only A Dream" by The Kinks with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by The Kinks below.

What key is "Only A Dream" in?

The chords for "Only A Dream" show the original chord names (including D, Dsus2, G, A, D7, C). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.